This 90-second spot in the commercial pod between the coin toss and kickoff promotes Ford's motions toward ride-sharing and bike sharing services to advance its positioning as a "mobility" company, not just an automaker.
A Bay Area bike-share sponsorship and recently-acquired shuttle service don't exactly change the marketer's core product. But the work by WPP's dedicated Ford shop, Global Team Blue, still makes an impression with relatable vignettes, a strong soundtrack choice (Nina Simon's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free") and affirmation that sitting in traffic isn't the only life there is.
Ford previewed the ad to dealers on Jan. 28 and released it online on Jan. 30, the Monday before the game.
"Go Further" was the first national Super Bowl ad for Ford Motor Co. since 2014, when it used the pre-kick break for a Fusion spot starring James Franco and Rob Riggle. (You won't find it in the Archive because Ad Age at the time required commercials to run after kickoff to count as "Super Bowl ads.") Ford ran a second-quarter spot starring Kermit the Frog in 2006 ("Not Easy Being Green").
BRAND: Ford
YEAR: 2017
AGENCY: GTB
SUPERBOWL: LI
QUARTER AIRED: pre-kick